Performers & Creators Lab

Holly talks to you about how listening to your body can be the one degree shift you need today to place yourself on a different trajectory in your life. How focusing on the process as opposed to the destination is the answer for getting the juiciest experience out of your day and out of your craft.
If you're in the Bay Area, please join me at the new show I'm producing, Comedy Culture Club which happens every Friday night at Buck Wild Brewing in Oakland starting September 8th, 2023. Click here for more info and tickets>>Holly Shaw has been featured on stand-up comedy showcases all over the Bay Area and Northern CA including Cobbs Comedy Club, Alameda Comedy Club, Cheaper Than Therapy, Laughs Unlimited and the Oakland Comedy Festival. In addition to being on her way to becoming a powerful voice in comedy she is also known for producing and creating spaces where creativity and innovation thrives. She is the executive producer of The Comedy Edge, which started out on the Oakland waterfront at Brooklyn Basin, and enjoyed a streak of sold-out weekly shows (100+ seats) from 2020 - 2022. Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness.Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she coaches artists, performs regularly and produces The Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.HollyShawComedy.com

In this episode Holly tackles the issue of loneliness and healing the wounds of community, betrayal and how to find your true people.
We cover a ton in this episode:

• Shocking effects of loneliness and why you shouldn't ignore it
• The Outlaw Archetype: what is it and why you may gravitate towards it
• Reasons why you may have become disconnected in the first place
• Holly shares her own personal story about community and betrayal
• Four components of community-what is it really?
• How you may be blocking yourself from connection with others

BONUS - At the end of this episode Holly leads you through the Community Deep Dive exercise from her book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness.

• Four Questions you can ask yourself to identify:
  • The communties where you already belong
  • How you actually show up there
  • Where you should invest in more
  • People you may need to walk away from

About Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.comOther Helpful Resources/Loneliness
Why Community Matters So Much and How to Find Yours (Vox)
Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions (CDC)
Where Did All My Friends Go? A Simple Guide to Finding Your People (Mel Robbins)

Comedian Melissa McGillicuddy (Voted best comedian, Sacramento News & Review 2019) will be headlining at the Comedy Edge Saturday, June 18th and I was happy to have the chance to grab her for a conversation about how she got her start in comedy even though she's shy, hear her worst stories of bombing and her tips for writing great material.
Get tickets to see Melissa at the Comedy Edge in Oakland, June 18th, 2022 >>
About Melissa
Melissa McGillicuddy is a stand-up comedian based in Sacramento, California. As a newcomer to the scene in 2015, she won the Wildcard Competition at the Sacramento Comedy Festival. Since then, Melissa has performed at SF Sketchfest, the World Series of Comedy, and colleges all across the country. She has also opened for talented comedians such as Cameron Esposito, River Butcher, and Vicki Barbolak. Being an only child raised by a single mom in a conservative town, Melissa found she didn’t always fit in, so she used humor as a way to connect with people. Her dry wit and unique perspective on life make her a hit with audiences everywhere. Melissa also co-produces the Moving Van Show, a monthly, secret pop-up comedy show, as well as Sacramento FemmeFest, the city's first all-female comedy festival. In 2019, Melissa was voted best comedian by the Sacramento News & Review. Follow her on Instagram: @meowlissamcg

About Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com

Comedian Chey Bell shares about her fearless start in stand-up comedy, her take on accepting advice from others, and gets honest about where she maybe isn't as fearless as she one day hopes to be. We also talk about this year's winner of the SF Comedy Competition, Ryan Goodcase, and Chey shares her secret to manifesting her dreams.
See Chey headlining live at the Comedy Edge in Oakland, October 16th as part of the Oakland Comedy Festival! Get tickets here
About The Guest, Chey Bell:
Chey's comedy mirrors together life experiences and self-discovery, touching on everything from family, drugs, coworkers, sexuality to misspelled tattoos. Chey's energetic stage presence is engaging, silly, fearless and direct, just like her!

Chey Bell has performed at The Comedy Store, Laff Factory, Punch Line, NY Comedy Club, Tommy T's and more. Chey has also featured for comedian Rachele Feinstein, R&B artist Eric Bellinger and has worked with Judah Friedlander and Fazon Love. Follow her on Instagram @cheybellcomedyYour Host:
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as the newly released book, Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. Currently she lives with her son in Oakland, CA where she runs and performs in the live weekly comedy showcase on the waterfront, the Comedy Edge. To learn more, please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com
Composer
Dan Cantrell is an Emmy award winning composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative film scoring approach, and his virtuosic abilities on the accordion, piano and musical saw. “Hauntingly beautiful...quirky and energetic” says the San Francisco Bay Guardian. His extensive scoring catalogue spans a wide range of emotion and style. Dan’s compositions for film and television have earned him numerous awards including an Emmy Award for KQED’s Home-Front,a Golden Gate award for the soundtrack to the documentary Divided Loyalties, and an Annie nomination for his work on three seasons of Cartoon Network’s the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Visit bellowhead.com

Sometimes whether we like it or not we are at the mercy of a "picker" or someone who gets to decide if we get to go on stage or not: casting directors, producers, bookers, or maybe it's just the guy who got tasked with hiring entertainment for his company's annual Christmas party! Either way you'll encounter plenty of so called gatekeepers no matter what artistic path you take.
In this episode we talk to Steve Ausburne, a comedian and one of the bookers for the SF Punchline Sunday Showcase. We cover:

• How Steve's comedic style has changed over time
• How he recovers from a "bad night"
• His thought process behind booking the Sunday Showcase

BONUS: I ask him the question we've all been wondering. . . this and more!
The "great book on comedy" that Holly can't remember the name of is Finding Your Comic Genius by Adam Bloom
About Today's Guest, Steve Ausburne
Steve Ausburne’s comedy career started with MC/Host work for friends with bands. His first attempt at actual stand up ended with a lifetime ban from a church in Grant’s Pass, Oregon.

Buoyed by that successful start, Steve has since embraced the stage as a place to present a spoken word memoir of all the embarrassing life moments that lurk in a place that only stand up or therapy sessions can reveal.
Also, he is allergic to cats.

​Steve peddles his comedic wares throughout Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area. He produces comedy shows throughout California's Wine Country and in addition to comedy performances, he is available for auctioneering, event hosting, work parties, voice acting, and private dancing.

Some of his accomplishments include: regular at Punch Line, Cobb's Comedy Club, and Rooster T Feathers; opened for Nimesh Patel, Michael Kosta, Rory Scovel and more!

To learn more or contact him for bookings please visit steveausburne.com

About Your Host, Holly Shaw
Before becoming a comedian, Holly Shaw spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker, coach and hypnotherapist. She's authored two books: the Amazon bestseller, The Creative Formula, as well as Making Art In the Middle of Madness and she was a regular teacher at SAG/AFTRA's conservatories in San Francisco as well as Los Angeles. Her podcast, Performers & Creators Lab, was named One of the Most Outstanding Podcasts of 2019 by Databird Research. Through all of her offerings she has helped thousands of performing artists, some of them Emmy Award winning and Grammy nominated, overcome stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create the work they were born to make and become undeniably magnetic performers. To learn more about Holly's work as a coach please visit www.performersandcreatorslab.com To learn more about her life as a joke teller please visit hollyshawcomedy.com